


One Word, One Touch

by Mythicalseries



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: M/M, Mutual Pining, Tropetastic Tuesday, rhink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-09
Updated: 2017-05-09
Packaged: 2018-10-29 23:00:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10863876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mythicalseries/pseuds/Mythicalseries
Summary: While on a trip, Link pretends to sleep and Rhett can't help but stare.





	One Word, One Touch

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by the prompt for Tropetastic Tuesday 9. I know I'm way over the deadline but it's midterm season and I couldn't get to it sooner. I hope you don't mind me posting it anyway. Sorry :)

He looks so peaceful. I don't get to see that calm face very often. I guess being the most anxious person in the world is a full time job, so he only looks like that when he's sleeping.

He went to bed like ten minutes ago. How does he do that? It takes me ages to clear my head enough to actually fall asleep, and I'm not the anxious one. Although, is he really asleep? I'm not sure; he keeps shifting in his place. I would ask him but I don't want to be _that_ guy, you know, the one that wakes you up just to ask you if you're awake.

The only reason we put that part in "Have you ever" is because Link has done that to me all my life. He used to do it at sleepovers as kids, and even now, after all these years, that boy doesn't seem to have learned his lesson yet. Every time that we travel together, Link wakes me up in the morning with that same question and I know he’ll probably do it tomorrow as well. Now that I think about it, this could actually be my opportunity to get my revenge. But I won't do it. I know he needs the rest.

Gosh, it's pathetic how much I care about him. And he knows. Surely, he must know. He’s caught me staring a few times and I don't always have an excuse. I think I've probably used “you've got something on your face” a few too many times. Other times, however, when my brain is not fast enough to think of a witty thing to say, I'm left with no choice but to tell the truth. “You look nice today”, I’ll say. And he will smile at me in such a warm way that my heart will feel like it could burst out of my chest.

I don't know if he’s aware of the effect he has on me, but sometimes he will do things that make me wonder if I have one on him as well. I have noticed how on specially rough days, he makes an extra effort – maybe subconsciously – to stay close to me all day, his touch also lingering longer than usual. There's even been one or two times when he has hugged me, holding onto me without saying a word as I felt his breathing start to match mine. Yet we’ve never talked about it again.

That's what we don't do. Ever. We’ve never talked about those tiny moments between us that walk the fine line between friendship and something else. Not because I haven't tried, but because whenever I say something, Link likes to play dumb. Although I don't really know what I would expect from that conversation, I think for now it would just be nice to know he's listening. Even if he's not ready to talk yet.

 

 

I can feel him staring at me. I can't go to sleep when I can feel his eyes tracing up and down my face. It's too distracting, but in a good way. It doesn't bother me but it does make me wonder what's going through that funny old head of his.

The wheels of his mind never really stop turning. It baffles me how he manages to get any sleep. Last time I checked it was almost one so if he doesn't go to bed now, he'll be grumpy in the morning. Not that I mind. Whenever we travel, I actually like to wake him up before his alarm goes off and watch him turn into a mumbling mess. As much fun as that is, however, it's not the real reason why I do it.

There's a moment right after he wakes up when he looks up at me and he smiles. For a second, he gives me the warmest smile he's got, always so clearly genuine that it makes my heart skip a beat. I don't think he knows he's doing it though. I feel like it's one of those fleeting moments when I can actually see behind the mask he puts on for me every day. Because I know he does. Just like I put one on for him.

I'm not as strong as him, though. I can't always keep my act on, specially on those days when he says something cute or gives me a silly compliment. He’ll say something as simple as “you look nice today” and I already know that I won't be able to wipe the smile off my face all day. I wonder if he notices. He has to.

On particularly rough days, I deliberately try to stay by his side as much as I can. It almost embarrasses me to admit that his mere presence helps calm my soul, it always has, but there's nothing that calms me more than the warmth of his body against mine. I try to save those moments for when I really need them though, because there's always a little voice in the back of my mind that tells me that he’ll push me away. But he never does.

Even though he doesn't exactly shy away from me, he rarely lets me enjoy it. There's always been these moments between us when there's a different sort of spark in the air, but he always has to say something. He just _has_ to ruin the moment. Our relationship is so complicated yet simultaneously simple that it’d be impossible to put it into words, but he doesn't get that. I hope he realizes that he could just reach out for my hand or something and I’d be sold. One touch is really all I need to make sure that this is not just inside my head.

 

 

Once Rhett believed Link was finally asleep, he got up to go to the bathroom. Sleep had suddenly started to get to him too. When he came back, his friend still looked as peaceful as ever, seemingly unfazed by all the noise Rhett had made.

Link’s steady breathing had to mean he was lost deep within a dream, so he surely wouldn't feel the tall man moving a rogue strand of hair away from his forehead – or so Rhett thought. Confident that he hadn't woken Link up, Rhett let himself enjoy the feeling of Link's skin beneath his fingertips for a second before he pulled away again.

As he turned around to settle back into his bed, he heard Link let out a content sigh behind him, making him freeze. His nerves eased up, however, when Link’s soft voice sounded clearly in the quiet room.

“Goodnight, Rhett.”

**Author's Note:**

> Comments always appreciated <3


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